First Cut is the Deepest
by Jeymie
Summary: The first cut is always the deepest. Takes place around Somalia.


I'll admit, I took creative liscense with the story. It's fanfic, I have that prerogative. Enjoy! 3 BTW, NCIS does NOT belong to me. The song does not either, and it's First Cut is the Deepest as sung by Cheryl Crow.

Ziva sits in a small café holding a cup of coffee in her hand and just looking out of the window. She watches the people walk across the street, a man on a scooter, a couple of teenage girl laughing and swinging shopping bags. Looking further, she sees her own reflection in the window of a department store across the street. Her hair is a mess of curls and she imagines that she can even see the rings under her eyes. She sees a tall man with brown hair and broad shoulders walk up behind her reflection and put his hands on her shoulders. Her reflection turns a bit to look back and he leans down, kissing her softly. Ziva looks over her shoulder and sees no one. She sighs and leaves a tip on the table before gathering her purse and jacket and leaving the café.

I would have given you all of my heart  
But there's someone who's torn it apart  
And he's taken just all that I have  
But if you want I'll try to love again  
Baby, I'll try to love again, but I know...

Tony looks across the bullpen at Ziva. She's immersed in her work, leaning close to the computer. Smiling he gets up and sneaks around behind her, waiting till she's in the middle of typing to grab her sides. He laughs as she squeals a very un-ninja like squeal. She turns around and slaps his arm, glaring playfully. "You know I can kill you eighteen different ways with a paperclip." She reminds him.

"Oh, I know." He smiles as he leans down and pecks her on the lips just as a hand comes out of no where and slaps him on the back of the head.

Tony jumps in his chair, his feet slamming to the ground. "If you're done napping on the job, DiNozzo, I need those reports." Gibbs growls.

Tony gulps, "Yes boss, on it boss." He turns on his computer, looking over at the desk that was Ziva's with sad, tired eyes. She smiles at him and fades out of sight as he shakes his head and attempts to get back to work, ignoring the knowing emptiness in the pit of his stomach.

The first cut is the deepest  
Baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest  
But when it comes to bein' lucky, he's cursed  
When it comes to lovin' me, he's worst...

Ziva sits in her apartment by the fireplace looking at a picture of Michael in her hands. She traces his face with her finger, remembering walking into her apartment and seeing him lying on the ground, blood flowing out of his body, and then seeing Tony. She remembers her heart stopping, both at the sight of Michael, and her brain telling her what should have happened to Tony in a fight between the two men. She didn't know who's side to run to, and that made her angry. Two tears trail down her face as she hears her own hurtful accusations shouted at Tony, and Tony's wounded eyes gazing back at her as if she had just stabbed a dagger through his heart.

Ziva slowly slides the picture out of the frame and, after taking one last look, gently sets it into the fire before picking up the papers with her orders and her plane ticket to Somalia and walking out of the door.

I still want you by my side  
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried  
And I'm sure gonna give you a try  
If you want I'll try to love again, (try)  
Baby, I'll try to love again, but I know...

Tony sits at his desk in NCIS, leaning back and looking down at a picture in his hands. It's of him and Jeanne at the carnival he took her to. They're both wearing big grins, and she has messy hair and blue cotton candy on the corners of her mouth. He smiles gently as he remembers her many attempts to destroy the picture. He traces a finger down the side of her face and across her lips, remembering the feel and shaped of each feature he comes across.

Suddenly, McGee's computer starts beeping. The Probie types at lightening speed, his eyes widening with the information. "Boss, I think we found her."

Gibbs grunts and stands up, throwing his coffee into the trashcan. "Gear up. We have an agent to recover."

McGee stands quickly and grabs his gear, running after his boss. Tony looks back down at the picture one more time before dropping it into the trashcan, grabbing his gear and running to catch the other two before the elevator closes.

OOHHH,  
The first cut is the deepest  
Baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest  
But when it comes to bein' lucky, he's cursed  
But when it comes to lovin' me, he's worst...

She doesn't know how long she has been chained to the chair. There are no windows, and the only way in or out was a metal door in front of her. A shiver of dread runs down her spine as it opens. A man walks in, a sick grin on his face. "Now, Ziva, are you ready to tell us what you know?"

Ziva glares up at the man out of the one eye that she can still open. She gathers mucus in her mouth and spits at the man as his face draws close to hers. His face contorted in rage, he raises his arm and backhands her. Some blood drips down the side of her face, mixing with the dirt and settling into cuts already present on her face. The man draws back his arm and punches her in the stomach. He rains blows on her, her cries echoing through the room.

An eternity later he finally stops. He laughs softly, "You will tell me eventually." He says, turning around and walking out.

Ziva allows herself a few tears as she whispers into the dark, "I am so sorry, Tony."

I still want you by my side  
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried  
But I'm sure gonna give you a try  
Cuz if you want I'll try to love again  
(Try to love again, try to love again)  
Baby, I'll try to love again but I know, OOHHH....

Tony stands outside of a hospital room, watching the occupant through the window. The woman in the bed is littered with cuts and bruises and her skin is so white that the only sign she's even alive are the bumps on the heart monitor.

Someone comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Tony, you've been here for three days. The doctors say she's probably not going to wake up until she's had more time to heal. You should go home and get some rest."

Tony shakes his head, his eyes never leaving the woman in the room. "I can't, Tim. I can't leave her. I need to be here with her."

Tim sighs, knowing that no amount of reasoning or prying would get his partner away from her side. He nods. "Alright, want me to swing by your apartment and get you some fresh clothes? At least that way you can stay clean and they won't kick you out for contaminating her room." He jokes.

Tony finally looks at him and cracks a small smile. "Yeah, thanks Tim." He says, his eyes showing that he means for much more than the offer of clothes.

Tim smiles sadly at him. "Anytime, Tony, anytime."

The doctor and nurses exit the room and Tony slips back in, taking his place in the chair at her bedside and holding her hand in his.

"You'll get better soon, Ziva. You'll be better soon."

The first cut is the deepest  
Baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest  
When it comes to bein' lucky, he's cursed  
When it comes to lovin' me, he's worst

Tony yawns and stretches out, looking up from his paperwork for the first time in hours. "Dang, you'd think we'd run out of trees with the amount of paperwork we have to fill out. Hey Probie, done with your stack yet?"

McGee doesn't look up from his paperwork. "Not yet, Tony."

Tony grins and looks over at Ziva. "What about you, Probie?" He asks, gleaning pleasure from the term. Ziva doesn't respond. "Hey, Proooobbbiiiieeee." Tony tries again. When she still doesn't respond, he wads up a piece of paper and tosses it at her, hitting her in the head.

"What, Tony?!" She snaps.

Tony grins. "Done with your paperwork yet?"

"If I was, I would not still be sitting here filling out paper work, now would I? Now leave me alone before I show you how many methods of killing you with a paper clip I can use before actually letting you die." She snaps, turning back to her work to hide a smile.

Tony sighs and leans back in his chair, a grin on his face. Across the bullpen, Gibbs sips his coffee to hide a grin at the rightness of the team being back together.

OOHHH, the first cut is the deepest  
Baby I know (baby I know)  
The first cut is the deepest  
Try to love again...


End file.
